


‘Til Ancient Alien Ceremony Do Us Part

by aralias



Category: Bernice Summerfield (Big Finish Audio), Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: Community: more_politics, Community: trope_bingo, F/M, Soul Bond, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-24
Updated: 2013-02-24
Packaged: 2017-12-03 12:40:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/698336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aralias/pseuds/aralias
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason accidentally forgets to tell Benny that if she puts on the nice bracelet he's just 'bought' for her, they'll become soulbonded. Possibly forever. And, er, maybe hear each other's thoughts. Possibly forever. Benny is not pleased. (Set around series 3 of the audio series.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	‘Til Ancient Alien Ceremony Do Us Part

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JaneTurenne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaneTurenne/gifts).



> Written for janeturenne as part of DW challenge morepolitics. Jane's (edited) prompt was: 'BENNY/JASON. Domestic squabbles are fine and in fact, given the two of them, encouraged. Something set during their more on-again off-again stage.' I also combined this fic challenge with trope_bingo and used the prompt 'soul bonding/soul mates'.

Jason ducked as the flowerpot flew towards him. “I’m sorry!”

 _“I know!”_ Benny yelled, picking up another of Brax’s potted plants. “And that’s one of the things that makes me quite so angry, Jason. I don’t want to know how sorry you are!”

“I know,” Jason said. “Which I think is a bit rude, actu--” He ducked again and the second flowerpot smashed harmlessly against the wall. 

“You’ve done plenty of really awful things during the time I’ve known you, Jason Kane, but I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry with you before.” 

“Ah,” Jason said. “That’s not actually true, now, is it, Benny? Remember, I can hear your thoughts now, so I know you actually place this incident a paltry third after -”

“Stop that,” Benny said firmly. “No really. Stop it right now. The least you can do, if you’re not going to go and die loudly somewhere, is to keep my thoughts to yourself. It’s like you’re walking around reading my diary out to anyone who happens to pass by.” 

“You’re right,” Jason said. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

“You _have_ read my diary to people, haven’t you?” Benny said, as the thought Jason hadn’t worked hard enough to suppress appeared in her consciousness unbidden. 

“No!” Jason said indignantly. “Not to people.”

“Just Adrian.” 

“And Doggles walked in at the- OW,” Jason said, as one of the flowerpots finally made contact with his chest. “Benny! That hurt!”

 _“I know!”_ Benny yelled back. “Wahey, lucky me, I’m tuned into Jason Kane FM twenty four seven! But the only good news is that now, thanks to you, we don’t ever need to talk again. Oh,” she said, as a calm hand took the potted fern she’d been holding away from her, “hello Brax. Didn’t hear you come in.”

“No,” Brax said, “I’d imagine not. Is everything,” his eyes flicked from one shattered and, now Benny thought about it, possibly priceless broken pot to another and then back to her face, “all right?” 

“What do you think?” 

“Many things,” Brax said. “For instance, ten seconds ago, I thought a phatic question might help smooth a difficult conversation. I’ve now realised that’s not true of this one. Is there anything I can do? Aside from providing more Qianlong vases for you to destroy.”

“Er,” Benny said, “yes, sorry about that.”

“Bernice, you know I wouldn’t have put compost into anything I actually liked,” Brax said, waving her apology away. “Now, a drink, perhaps?”

Benny let out a breath of annoyance. “Yes, all right.”

“Mr Kane?”

“Will be staying here and cleaning up, if he knows what’s good for him,” Benny said.

“Hey, I wasn’t the one who broke all this stuff,” Jason protested. Benny turned to scowl at him and he tried a weak smile in return. “But I don’t mind staying and cleaning it up. I’d be happy to, actually.”

“Good. And don’t bother trying to attach a dustpan to Joseph.”

“I wasn’t going to,” Jason lied. 

“Because that doesn’t work,” Benny told him. “Trust me.”

*

Brax’s office was as calm and beautiful as always. And somehow there was a bottle of red wine already open on the side. Among his many talents, Brax always seemed to know what would be needed before he found out what was going on. 

Benny slumped into the visitor’s chair and tried to block out some thoughts Jason was having about how unfair everything was, how he loved her and only wanted them to be together again, and how everything kept going wrong for him.

Brax was pouring her what looked like a large glass of wine. Benny tried seriously to think about handsome and charming he was, just to piss Jason off, but it was difficult to keep up, even though Brax was both charming and handsome. Instead she returned to musing on how Jason was a git, which had become easy with practice. 

Brax put her wine glass down on a crystal coaster and moved round to the other side of the desk. He sat down in the chair opposite and steepled his hands together in front of him. 

“So,” he said. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”

Benny held up her left wrist, which bore a thin, engraved band of gold. “I imagine you know what this is?” 

“Ah,” Brax said as she drained her glass. “If I’m not much mistaken _that_ is one of the bracelets of Callamandu.”

“Give the man a medal. Right first time.”

“Thank you. The bracelet and its pair also happen to be mine, but that doesn’t seem to be relevant at this precise moment.”

“Sorry. I’d give it back, but – well, you know.”

“Mm. Legend has it that if the two bracelets are worn by different people those two people will be as inseparably bonded as the bracelets are to the wearer...”

“Bloody legends,” Benny said. “Why do they always have to be right?”

“So it’s true, then? I had wondered.” 

“Well, it certainly seems like it is. I can’t take the bracelet off and neither can Jason. And I don’t know about inseparably bonded, but I can hear his thoughts and he can definitely hear mine.” 

“Fascinating,” Brax said. “But,” he added hurriedly, “I assume from your expressions of rage earlier that you wish this situation to come to an end.”

“And soon,” Benny said. “What do we have to do? Go on some sort of horrible quest to discover our true feelings?”

“So the legends say,” Brax agreed. “I had, in fact, been reading up on the bracelets just before Mr Kane stole them. Traditionally, those who wished to again become separate individuals journeyed to the Temple of Mergravia where they drank deeply of the sacred waters and fasted for six days. Unfortunately the temple has not been seen for at least three centuries, so you would have to uncover it first, if you wished to pursue that option.” 

“Typical,” Benny said. “All right then. I assume you’ll look after Peter for me while I’m gone. When can we leave?” 

In her head, she could hear Jason’s hope that this thing hadn’t gone so wrong after all. The quest would bring them together. He’d be useful and not annoying and she’d realise that it was great to be with him. Benny, meanwhile, had been on archaeology digs with her ex-husband before and began picturing Jason hanging off a cliff, a sacred relic sliding gently from his pockets. Jason thought back that he was very hurt and that something like that probably wouldn’t happen again. Benny sighed.

“You can leave tonight,” Brax said. “I’ll have one of my personal shuttles set aside for you, if you want it, and of course I’d be very happy to look after Peter. Alternatively,” he continued, “you _could_ try talking to one of the telepathic members of staff here at the Collection. My research indicates that the sacred waters were likely to be little more than saline water. The fasting was probably just to confuse the participants into accepting the word of the telepathic priests who released them from the bracelets’ hold after their ordeal was at an end. Of course, I haven’t tested the theory, but it’s worth a try, wouldn’t you say?”

“Well, _yes_ ,” Benny said, feeling more cheerful. “Obviously. Do we, er, have any telepathic members of staff?”

“Several,” Brax said. “In fact, one of them is sitting in this office with you right now.”

Benny looked around stupidly before she understood what Brax was saying. “Oh right. Well, go ahead then.”

The last thing she heard Jason think was, _This is so unfair. Why does Brax always have to ruin everything?_

* 

Several hours later, she found Jason sitting in one of the student pubs just off campus. There were several empty pint glasses arranged around him on the bar. 

He looked up mournfully as she sat down on the stool next to him. “Hey.”

“I’ll have a whisky,” Benny told the barman. She jerked her head at Jason. “He’s paying.”

“Are you still angry with me?” Jason asked.

“I don’t know.” 

“That means yes,” Jason said despondently. “In my defence, I really didn’t know anything about the thought-transfer thing. Brax’s label didn’t mention it at all, just that the two people who wore the bracelets were destined to be soul mates.”

“And you didn’t think _that_ was a horrible invasion of privacy?”

“Er,” Jason said. 

“Think very carefully about your next answer,” Benny said, regarding him steadily over the top of her newly-arrived Scotch.

“Well,” Jason said. “Yes. You’re right, of course. Obviously. You’re always right. I know now that I shouldn’t have tried to trick you into becoming my soul mate. It was thoughtless, stupid and insensitive, as well as being an invasion of your privacy and rights as an individual.” 

“... Yes, all right, not bad,” Benny said. “In return for that, I promise I’ll think about forgiving you.” She drained her Scotch and stood. “I’ll see you later. Remember to pay.”

“Yer. I _am_ sorry, you know."

"I know."

"It's just... I thought,” Jason said, as she slung her satchel over her shoulder again, “and I know I was wrong and that I went about it the wrong way, but I thought... well, that we were already soul mates, Benny.” He smiled weakly. “I just wanted you to realise that, too.”

 _Jason bloody Kane,_ Benny thought as she walked away. Why did he have to say things like that? She’d been hoping to hate him for at least another hour. 

*

Back at the Collection archives, Brax returned the bracelets of Callamandu to their case. All things considered, he thought the day had gone rather well. The ancient bracelets were back where they belonged and, although Benny had been outraged at what Jason had tried to do to her, it had been because he hadn't consulted her and the situation had seemed permanent. Now, on the other hand, Brax had proved that the bracelets weren’t dangerous and a powerful telepath could break the bond very easy. If he presented the idea of using them again... say, in order to aid communication between the two of them while she was away on a dangerous expedition... well, she might well say yes. 

He locked the case, dropped the key in his pocket and walked back to his office, humming to himself.


End file.
